Stories use nuanced characters and plots to teach children core values. (Photo: iStock) 
I always tell the story of a leading academic who was asked whether he would rather teach a Grade 1 class or be a stand-up comedian. He chose to be a stand-up comedian because it was so much easier.
“In a comedy situation, you’re talking to a group of inebriated people expecting to laugh and respond with laughter to anything you say. You are in a controlled environment — a smoke-filled, noisy, darkened room.”
A classroom is more complex, he said.
“You have the curriculum to follow, the children are ... jumping around, one child is collecting stuff out of his locker, you have concerned parents breathing down your neck, and the principal is making his or her demands.”
Grade 1 classrooms are complex places, and you are frequently forced to veer from your main teaching and learning trajectory.
When Grade 1 teachers asked me to do a reading period with their children, I thought it would be a great way to put my skills to the test. They were having behavioural issues, and I wondered how I could address some of the challenges through storytelling.
Stories have been used in moral education for centuries, often bridging ancient traditions with modern narratives. Early morality plays in medieval times, like Everyman, used allegorical characters to dramatise the struggle between truth and vice, guiding ethical living.
These plays often personified abstract ideals like mercy, deception or greed, allowing audiences to see the consequences of moral choices. Today, stories continue to play this role, using nuanced characters and plots to teach values. This can be seen in the children’s book Miss Nelson Is Missing! by Harry Allard and James Marshall, which I used with Grade 1 children.
Miss Nelson and modern moral tales
In Miss Nelson Is Missing!, the unruly children of Room 207 take their kind teacher for granted until she mysteriously disappears and is replaced by the ultra-strict Viola Swamp. The children transition from chaos to remorse, mirroring themes from medieval dramas.
Miss Nelson represents patience and kindness, whereas Miss Swamp symbolises discipline and consequence. The story neither preaches nor lectures, but shows children grappling with their actions and learning to show respect and gratitude.
From the reader’s perspective, Miss Nelson Is Missing! generates empathy by immersing children in the consequences of the students’ actions. The regret they feel for taking Miss Nelson for granted allows them to reflect on the importance of appreciating kindness. Miss Swamp, though not a traditional villain, acts as a subtle allegory, reminiscent of morality plays that spark growth.
The writers avoid heavy-handed lessons, opting instead to “show, not preach”, allowing the transformation of the children to unfold organically.
Their mischief and their change feel authentic and relatable for children. The authors exemplify key principles: Miss Nelson’s nurturing warmth and Miss Swamp’s uncompromising strictness symbolise contrasting values that drive the narrative.
The loss of a beloved teacher becomes a vehicle for responsibility as students grapple with finding a solution to the problem they have created. The balance of humour and mystery in the story captivates young minds and provides a moral lesson packaged in an entertaining narrative.
Taking the story forward
I was overwhelmed by the power that the story had in the Grade 1 class and decided to write follow-up stories using the same characters. Each week, I discussed the children’s behaviour with the teachers and planned the next episode based on those behaviours. I developed the idea of using the character of Miss Swamp as a troubleshooter who could be called around the world to assist teachers who had written asking for help. Each week, I asked the children which city or country they wanted her to visit next, and hands would shoot up.
In my first story, while Miss Swamp is preparing her lesson plans she receives a letter from a Swiss first grade teacher named Frau Müller, who is struggling to manage her rowdy class.
“When Miss Swamp arrived at the Swiss school, she was greeted by a frazzled Frau Müller. The classroom was in chaos, the children were climbing on desks, throwing paper aeroplanes and ignoring their teacher’s calls for order. Miss Swamp’s eyes narrowed, and she marched into the room with her signature scowl.
“‘Enough!’ she barked, her voice cutting through the noise like a whip. The children froze, staring at the tall, imposing figure in the black dress and bun. ‘I am Miss Viola Swamp, and from now on, you will behave.’”
In Ethiopia, she has to deal with bullying: “At break, Miss Swamp led Adina to the shade of a giant ficus tree. ‘You carry a storm inside you,’ she said, pressing a smooth obsidian stone into the girl’s palm. ‘When their words bite, grip this. Feel its strength. Then speak, not in a whisper, but a roar.’
“She taught Adina to plant her feet like the roots of the highland trees, to meet her tormentors’ eyes, and to shout ‘beka!’ (‘enough!’), a word that had echoed through generations of Ethiopian mothers and warriors.
“For Taye and Jima, Miss Swamp devised a lesson in humility. They were ordered to tend the school’s neglected garden each afternoon, watering the soil where Adina’s beloved flowers grew.”
In another of the stories, Miss Swamp and the Lilac Dragon of Beijing, a Beijing teacher, Ms Wang, begs Miss Swamp for help with Li Wei and his mischievous dragon.
Miss Swamp discovers that the restless dragon mirrors Li Wei’s energy and devises a plan that includes structured outdoor play and rewards for good behaviour. Li Wei embraces his new role as “dragon trainer”, and calmness returns to the class.
Imagination and conscience
It’s funny how children’s imaginations work. Some children would come to me at break and ask if Miss Swamp was real.
When I have to deal with Grade 1 children who are naughty, I ask them what they think Miss Swamp would do, and I am amazed at the level of reflection that takes place.
From the stark allegories of medieval plays to the whimsical pages of Miss Nelson Is Missing!, stories remain a powerful tool for teaching morals. They allow children to explore ethical dilemmas safely and foster empathy and critical thinking. DM
Dr Mark Potterton is the principal of Sacred Heart Primary School and the director of the Three2Six Refugee Children’s Project.
This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
